COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

One of the main ways that CAC2 supports the childhood cancer community is by identifying and completing projects that individual organizations can’t complete and manage as easily or as effectively alone. The CAC2 Project Incubator and Accelerator supports this process by encouraging CAC2 members to submit concepts of collaborative projects that fulfill the CAC2 mission of fostering and sustaining greater levels of collaboration, information exchange, and learning across the childhood cancer community  in the areas of advocacy & awareness, research & treatment, family support & survivorship.

CAC2’s Project Incubator process provides the support of experienced volunteers to help guide members who have great ideas through the process of refining their ideas, presenting the concept to the full membership for endorsement, and support for engaging the greater community in the execution of the project.

Read More about the Project Incubator

CAC2 Projects in Process:

Foundation Match for Joint Research Funding is a project whose team is building a searchable web platform for CAC2 member organizations with like-minded missions to connect, collaborate, and fund research and other projects with a goal of preventing duplication of effort and creating a more coordinated funding effort to support research. Learn More About Foundation Match.  Supported by Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

Better Together: Survivorship Connection focuses on the challenges and needs of childhood and AYA cancer survivors and their families by connecting them to organizations and resources that can help address the frustration, loneliness, and isolation that they often feel. Survivors can use this service regardless of their age, diagnosis, U.S. location, or length of time since their final treatment. Learn More About Better TogetherSupported by Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society.

Ongoing CAC2 Projects:

Childhood Cancer Fact Library
A comprehensive, well-documented and trusted source of information for anyone seeking data and statistics related to pediatric cancers. The Fact Library team updates its listing annually so that it can continue to be instrumental in building awareness of the realities associated with diagnosis, treatment, remission, and survivorship. Visit the Fact Library.

Childhood Cancer Events Map/Calendar
An online resource that lists events, programs, gold lighting initiatives, and engagement opportunities for individuals to get more involved in activities happening in their own neighborhoods and across the nation.  The calendar is searchable by date and by location, creating an easy-to-use database for everyone to join an opportunity to make a difference.  View the Map/Calendar and add your event.

Ethics Think Tank
The Ethics Think Tank team developed and presented a white paper that identifies the potential ethical issues charities face when funding research and the Best Management Practices (BMPs) charities use in dealing with those issues.  During the next phase of the project, the team will draw on extant resources and develop new resources to assist non-profit research funders as they strive to support drug development in pediatric cancer ethically.  Learn More about the Ethics Think Tank.

Gold Awareness Project
The Gold Awareness Project offers numerous creative ways to promote powerful messages and gold icons in September to increase awareness of childhood cancer.  Through this project, CAC2 hopes to inspire action and engagement locally, nationally, and globally.  View the Gold Awareness Project

Hope Portal
A centralized and comprehensive cloud-based tool designed to assist families and health care professionals with fast and simple guided navigation of organizations that provide childhood cancer support services and information. This project upholds both our mission to foster collaboration and coordinated action and to reinforce our highest priority to put children with cancer, survivors, and their families first in all that we do. Supported by Day One Biopharmaceuticals and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Visit the Hope Portal

International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP)
The ICRP is a unique global alliance that gathers and shares cancer research funding data to enhance collaboration and strategic coordination between individual researchers and organizations. ICRP member organizations and agencies (such as CAC2) share high-quality, coded data via the ICRP database, which contains data on more than 80,000 grants from more than 81 institutes and organizations, totaling over $15 billion in cancer research.  Access to the ICRP is a benefit of CAC2 membership. CAC2 involvement has bolstered inclusion of pediatric cancer research funding and reporting in the database.  Learn More About the ICRP.

CureFest

Recommended and endorsed as an early project by founding CAC2 members, this effort has evolved into a national initiative comprised of an annual family-friendly weekend each September that features a public rally, a candlelight vigil, a walk, games, activities, and live entertainment in Washington, D.C. This effort brings together the general public, elected officials, civic leaders, and the medical community to unite against childhood cancer, with the goal to advance the childhood cancer cause by uniting our voices.  Go to CureFest

Completed CAC2 Projects:

“From Bench to Bedside and Beyond” Research Conference
In the fall of 2016, CAC2 hosted “From Bench to Bedside and Beyond,” an interdisciplinary research conference for childhood cancer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.  Stakeholders from across the spectrum met to examine and discuss emerging technologies and the clinical pipeline to identify barriers to progress for childhood cancer research. The two-day conference featured 18 speakers and more than 150 family members, funders, regulatory agencies, industry representatives, medical professionals, and investigators took part. Attendees experienced an inspiring exchange of knowledge and networking, forged new relationships, and made connections in a truly engaging meeting. An extensive conference proceedings document remains available for everyone to benefit from this experience.

“Coming together is a begining, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”

-Henry Ford

Annual Reports